SAMOAN: a language of Western Samoa

The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.

SIL code: SMY

ISO 639-1: sm

ISO 639-2: smo

Population	199,377 in Samoa, 93% of population (1999). Population total all countries 426,394.
Region	Also spoken in American Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, Tonga, USA.
Classification	Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, Samoic-Outlier, Samoan.
Comments	No significant dialect variations, but important register-based distinctions in the phonology. The talking chiefs' dialect is very different; most Samoans have difficulty understanding it. 70% lexical similarity with Wallisian, 67% with Rarotongan, 66% with Tongan, 62% with Paumotu. Official language. Dictionary. VSO. Agriculturalists. Christian. Bible 1855-1970.

Also spoken in:

American Samoa

Language name	SAMOAN
Population	56,700 in American Samoa (1999), 90% of the population.
Comments	There are only minor regional dialect differences, but great phonological and lexical differences between formal and colloquial speech. Speakers in American Samoa are highly bilingual in English. Fishermen, canning. Christian. Bible 1855-1970. See main entry under Samoa.